Blair damaged trust in politics

Tony Blair did long-term damage to trust in politics when he put forward a case for war that went beyond the "facts of the case", the author of the scathing official report into the Iraq War has said.

Sir John Chilcot, who has remained silent on the report since its publication in July, told a panel of senior MPs be believed it would take many years to repair the harm the former prime minister's actions had caused.

After an inquiry lasting seven years, the Chilcot Report found that former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein posed "no imminent threat" at the time of the invasion of his country in 2003, and the war was unleashed on the basis of "flawed" intelligence.

Chilcot: UK did not face imminent threat from Saddam

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Its publication led to calls for the prosecution of Mr Blair, but the former premier insisted that, while he felt sorrow for those whose loved ones died, he stood by his decision to commit Britain to the US-led military action.

Asked if trust in politics had been corroded because MPs were told things that could not reasonably be supported by the evidence, Sir John told the House of Commons Liaison Committee: "I think when a government or the leader of a government presents a case with all the powers of advocacy that he or she can command, and in doing so goes beyond what the facts of the case and the basic analysis of that can support, then it does damage politics, yes."

He told MPs he "can only imagine" it would take a long time to repair the trust.

Sir John said Mr Blair's decision to describe the threat the Hussein regime posed as imminent had been the "best possible inflection" of the evidence he had.

"A speech was made in advocate's terms and putting the best possible inflection on the description that he used," he said.

May hits out at Fifa poppy ban

It is "utterly outrageous" that England and Scotland football players have been banned from wearing poppies on the pitch, Theresa May has said.

The Football Association is in discussions with Fifa over allowing players to show support for the Royal British Legion's poppy appeal when England play Scotland.

Gareth Southgate's side host their neighbours at Wembley on Armistice Day in a World Cup qualifier.

PoppiesCredit:
Telegraph

A report in the Sun claimed Fifa had banned the two teams from displaying poppies on their shirts during the game as political statements are not allowed.

Mrs May said: "I think the stance that’s been taken by FIFA is utterly outrageous.”

Players want to honour soldiers’ sacrifice, Mrs May said, adding: “I think it’s absolutely right they should be able to do so.

“I think a clear message is going from this house.”

She added: “Before they start telling us what to do they jolly well ought to sort their own house out.”

Colombia hailed as trade partner for post-Brexit UK

The UK must set its sights on boosting trade with emerging economies as it leaves the European Union, Theresa May said after talks with Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos.

The Prime Minister restated her ambition of the UK being a "global champion of free trade" as it prepares for Brexit, with countries like Colombia offering new opportunities.

Following the talks with Mrs May in Downing Street, Mr Santos said Colombia was ready to "pursue new opportunities" with the UK as the Brexit process unfolds.

Theresa May and Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos speak at a press conferenceCredit:
EPA

Mrs May said the UK has been the third-largest foreign investor in Colombia over the past decade and the trading relationship was worth £1 billion last year.

She said: "As the UK prepares to leave the EU, I am determined that Britain should become the global champion of free trade and that means boosting trade with fast-growing economies like Colombia.

"I want to see even more British companies and investors taking up the opportunities that Colombia offers.

"And I want Colombian businesses to see the UK as a leading hub for finance, innovation, research and development."

The talks at Number 10, on the second day of Mr Santos's state visit to the UK, saw the announcement of a new oil and gas partnership.

The two leaders also announced a new double taxation agreement to help businesses and employees in both countries.

And the Prime Minister promised £1 billion in UK export finance to encourage investment in healthcare and energy projects.

Blair's 'personal and political dominance'

Blair took war decisions without his Cabinet

Tony Blair pushed ahead with decisions surrounding the Iraq War without his Cabinet, Sir John Chilcot has said.

"Things were decided without reference to Cabinet. It never went near a Cabinet. More generally Cabinet was promised it would have a hand in decisions on major deployments. We did an analysis of all Cabinet minutes... quite frequently it was simply being given information updates, there was very little substantive meetings that led to collective decisions."

He urges Cabinet ministers to record their views and give "their best advice to their masters" even if that advice is not followed in the end.

Sir John's recommendations

Comparing reports

MP Crispin Blunt compares the Iraq War report by Sir John Chilcot, which spans some two million words, to a report by the Foreign Affairs select committee into the activities in Syria, which was somewhat slimmer and cheaper to produce.

"For our part we had total access to all material of any sensitivity and much of the subsequent negotiation was about disclosure and the ability to publish it," Sir John responds.

He added that there was a "good public understanding" of the conclusions of his report.

In unscripted remarks before a conference in Dublin on the impact of Brexit on Ireland, Mr Kenny said the UK Prime Minister had indicated she will trigger Article 50 - the mechanism for leaving - before the end of March.

"That doesn't mean it mightn't be triggered in December... or January, or February," he added.

Mr Kenny suggested some European leaders would become very hostile to Britain.

Former culture secretary John Whittingdale says England and Scotland's footballers should wear a poppy and potentially risk a points deduction in their World Cup Qualifier against Scotland on November 11 - Armistice Day.

Speaking to BBC 5 Live's Emma Barnett, Mr Whittingdale was commenting on the row between FIFA and the FA.

He said: "For them (FIFA) to try and brand the poppy as a political symbol shows a total misunderstanding, and I think there are a number of reasons why we are already profoundly unhappy with Fifa's behaviour and conduct and this adds to that list."

John Whittingdale, the former Culture SecretaryCredit:
Nick Edwards

Emma Barnett: “So we should potentially risk the points deduction?"

John Whittingdale: “Yes”.

World football's governing body is coming under more pressure over its decision not to allow footballers to wear poppies on armbands during next week's World Cup qualifiers.

The Football Association says it is optimistic that a compromise can be reached with FIFA that will allow players from England and Scotland to wear poppies on armbands during next week's World Cup qualifier at Wembley, as they did in 2011 when England, Scotland and Wales played with poppies on armbands.

Louis Smith's mocking of Islam

Tory MP Charles Walker asks angrily about Louis Smith who has been shamed for mocking Islam.

He says he "no longer understands the rules".

Gymnast Louis SmithCredit:
AFP/Getty Images

Theresa May says: "This is a balance that we need to find. We value freedom of expression and freedom of speech in this country ... but we also value tolerance to others, we also value tolerance towards religion.

"I think we need to ensure that yes it is right that people can have that freedom of expression but by doing so that right has a responsibility too."

'Labour is drifting away from the views of its voters'

Jeremy Corbyn refers to the film I, Daniel Blake, which is about the struggle of a man living on benefits.

He urges Theresa May to go and see the film and perhaps she should take her work and pensions secretary Damian Green with her too after he criticised it without seeing it.

Mrs May says it is right that there are sanctions in the system. "The Labour Party is drifting away from the views of Labour voters. It is this party that understands the views of working class people," she tells him.

Universal Credit cuts

Jeremy Corbyn says that Theresa May has only offered "empty words" about helping struggling families and asks whether her cuts to Universal Credit will leave them millions of pounds worse off?

The PM says "crucially the point about Universal Credit is that work always pays" and that people will not be "written off" to a life on benefits.

Mr Corbyn says three million families will be at least £1,000 worse off according to a study.

He likens the changes to the controversial tax credit cuts which were eventually scrapped.

“Why is the Prime Minister slipping the same cuts in through the back door?” he asks.

But Mrs May attacks the Labour leader for wanting "unlimited" welfare.

She adds: "What we saw was that too many people were finding they were better off on benefits that in work. We want a system that is fair, fair to those who need the benefits but also fair to those who pay for them through their taxes."

PMQs

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'Behind closed doors' Brexit talks with Nissan must be made public, Labour tells Government

Labour is seeking an urgent meeting with the Government to discuss any assurances given to Nissan before the car giant announced plans to build new models in the UK.

Shadow business secretary Clive Lewis said the Opposition had been left without adequate information to scrutinise areas of policy effectively.

In a letter to Business Secretary Greg Clark, he called for talks to discuss the "broader implications" of assurances given to the Japanese car company over its decision to build new cars at its Sunderland plant.

Mr Lewis has asked that a letter sent by the minister to Nissan on issues such as tariff-free access to the single market should be published.

Mr Lewis wrote: "In the last few days, you have hinted at vital aspects of your Government's industrial strategy and approach to exiting the EU, but you have left myself, my party, and Parliament as a whole, without adequate information to do our job in opposition and scrutinise these crucial areas of policy effectively.

"It is the country as a whole that suffers from such a state of affairs.

"I therefore ask you to meet me in person, as a matter of urgency, so that we can discuss the content and scope of the assurances given to Nissan in more detail.

"As part of this discussion, I do not think it is unreasonable to request a private viewing of the disputed letter, and would happily agree to the commercially sensitive areas being redacted."

Mr Lewis said: "Nissan's decision to continue producing in Sunderland was fantastic news for the whole country, but our industrial strategy and Brexit policy are too important to be carried out behind closed doors."

Brexit will test UK to the limit

Brexit will test the UK's political, bureaucratic, constitutional and legal systems "to their limits - and possibly beyond", a report has warned.

The Brexit and Beyond report warns that the process of withdrawal from the EU will place "enormous pressure" on Parliament, the civil service and the courts over many years and will put the fabric of the British constitution "under strain".

Withdrawal negotiations under Article 50 of the EU treaties, coupled with talks to establish a new trading relationship with Europe and the rest of the world, will represent the biggest challenge the civil service has faced, imposing an "immense workload" on Whitehall.

And Parliament will "have its work cut out" dealing with the volume of work resulting from Theresa May's decision to use a Great Repeal Bill to abolish the 1972 European Communities Act and transpose all relevant EU law on to the UK statute book.

Negotiations will take place at a national level with a view to reaching an agreement later this month, the POA said.

Liz Truss, the Justice SecretaryCredit:
AFP

It comes after official figures revealed levels of violence in prisons have reached a new high with 65 assaults behind bars every day.

In the year to June assaults on staff jumped by 43 per cent to 5,954, with 697 of these recorded as serious.

Last month the chairman of the Parole Board warned prison safety has deteriorated to its most serious level.

Professor Nick Hardwick, a former chief inspector of prisons, said: "I see no sign that the number of homicides, self-inflicted deaths, self-harm incidents and assaults will not continue to rise."

Ms Truss, who recently announced an investment of an additional £14 million for more than 400 extra staff in prisons that have seen sharp rises in violence, is set to unveil her strategy for prison reform.

She told the Commons on Tuesday that there is a "serious issue with violence and levels of suicide" as she stressed that addressing the situation is her top priority.